Automobile suiter



G A. LYON.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, 1921. RENEWED JAN. 26,1922.

i,%23,57l. Patented July 25, 1922.

. 3% warez UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER.

pecificat'ion of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922.

Application filed'February 28, 1921, Serial No. 448,500. Renewed January 26, 1922. Serial No. 532,033.

T 0 all whom it may c0ncern.'-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALBERT LYON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, havemade a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Automobile Buffers, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This invention relates especially to resilient strip automobile buffers or bumpers which are especially desirable for use with the present type of automobiles which are constructed with low hung frames. It is often desirable to bring at least some contact portions of the front or impact receiving members of the buffer up abovethe buffer supporting arms and end loops, and for this purpose it is desirable to have the spring steel or other front strips similarly upwardly arched or bent so as to form substantially or exactly superimposed contact portions which may be adjustably or otherwise clamped orfastened to form a mutually rein.- forcing buffer front. It is usually desirable to have the resilient end loops of the buffer arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and the central. portions of the buffer front members and impact receiving strips may be vertically bent or arched so as to form substantially superimposed contact portions which areconsiderably above the, endloops and when straight form a desirable adjustable connection between the spring strip members when these reinforcing contact portions are adjustably clamped together to fit different width automobiles. Of course such a buffer may in some cases be advantageously turned upside down when used as a rear buffer,-so that the contact portions are then arranged below the end loops which is usually desirable when the buffer is connected to the higher frame members in the back of the. automobile. p In some cases how ever, the entire buffer front strips may be upwardly arched from substantially the outer ends or portions of the end loops which gives a pleasing and distinctive appearance to the buffer front, as well asmaking a very effective raised contact portion for collision purposes.

In the accompanying drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way various illustrative embodimentsof this invention, F g, 1 is a front pe spe t Y? YEW sh ing one form of buffer for use on the front of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding perspective view of the same in its inverted position for use on the rear ofan automobile; and

Figs. 3 to 5 are front perspective views showing other illustrative forms of buffers.

The vehicle buffer may advantageously be formed of a plurality of strips of resilient material, such as tempered spring steel which may be one quarter to three eighths of an inch thick and one and three quarters to two and one half inches wide more or less and several such strips may advantageously be connected in overlapping reinforcing position adjacent the central part of the buffer front. For many purposes it is advantageous to form the buffer of two similar strips of such resilient material and as shown in Fig. 1, one of the strips may comprise the attaching member 6 to be clamped or connected to the frame of, the automobile or vehicle while the spring strip also comprises theend loop 5, and theimpact receiving or buffer front 1 adjacent the end loop may be arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane as the end loop and connecting attaching member if desired. The inner or central portion of the buffer front strip may be vertically arched or bent as at 7, so as to form a vertically displaced contact portion 8 considerably above the connected end loop and attaching member. The other spring strip may comprise an attaching member f and end loop 3, the outer portion 2 of the impact receiving or buffer front member may as indicated he in substantially the same horizontal plane as the end loop. The inner portion of this buffer front strip is similarly upwardly vertically bent as at 10, so as to form a similarly substantially straight upwardly displaced contact portion 1]., which is thus adapted to be substantially superimposed upon the contact portion of the cooperating front strip and these mutually reinforcing front strips may be adjustably or otherwise clamped or connected by any suitable means as by the close clamping members 14, 15 which may be arranged adjacent the inner cnds 9, 12 of these spring strips. This form of adjustable connection of the superimposed contact portions of the front strips provides the desired width of the buffer, so that it can fit automobiles having frame members of different width and the buffer front not only has a more leasing appearance, but is also considerably stronger and more rigid because these overlapping strips are substantially superimposed and held in such close contact by the desired number of clamping members. The buffer is preferably used in the position shown in Fig. 1 on most automobiles of the low hung frame type but on automobiles with special high frames or when used as a rear buffer and secured to the rear automobile frames which are usually considerably higher, it is often advantageous to reverse the osition of the buffer so that as shown in 1g. 2 it may be used in inverted position in which the vertically displaced contact portions are arranged below the end loops instead of above them. In either case the buffer front is thus given a greatly increased vertical width adapted to engage and cushion the impact member of another automobile or object under collision conditions. and if desired the total width of the different vertically displaced parts of the buffer front may be as much as five or six inches or more.

Fig. 3 shows another arrangement in which the end loop 3 and the cooperating front portion 46 of the impact receiving member may be substantially level and on the same horizontal plane as the end loop portions 5, 49 of the other cooperating spring strip. These spring strips may as indicated be similarly upwardly arched throughout their central portion between the connected attaching members and the portions 47, 50 may thus have a pleasing upwardly arched appearance, so that they may be arranged in superimposed position and adjustably secured therein as by the clamping members 65, 66 adjacent the ends 48, 51 of these resilient strips.

Fig. 4 shows another illustrative arrangement in which one of the resilient strips may comprise the attaching member 67 and end loop 68 which may be curved or bent downward somewhat below the attaching member at its outer end, the connected buffer front or impact receiving member 69 being upwardly arched or bent from substantially the outer end of the end loop as indicated. The other spring stri may comprise the other attaching mem er 71 and downwardly bent end loop 72 which may be substantially parallel with the upwardly arched bufl'er front member 73 which extends upward in substantially the same curve or arch as the other vertically dislaced contact member, so that the central liortions of these contact members may be susbtantially superimposed and adjustably or otherwise connected as by the enclosing clamping members 7 76 adjacent the ends 70, 74 of these front strips.

5 shows still another illustrative arrangement in which one of the resilient strips may comprise the attaching member 4 and substantially horizontal end loop 3 the connected buffer front member 69 being as illustrated upwardly arched from substantially the end of the end loop, so that it can be ca'rried up as much as four or five inches in the center of the buffer if desired. The other resilient strip may comprise the attaching member 6 and end loop 5 which may be horizontal if desired and the connected buffer front member 73 may be similarly upwardly arched so that its central portion may be arranged in superimposed position with respect to the cooperating vertically dis laced contact member of the other stri he clamping members 75, 76 may secure y connect these superimposed contact portions of the buffer front members adjacent their ends 70, 7 4 and may provide several inches or more of lateral adjustment of the buffer to fit different width automobile frames.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments, forms proportions, parts, arrangements, materials, methods of connection and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the a pended claims.

I c aim 1. The automobile buffer consisting of two integral s ring steel strips having greater vertical wldt'li than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and interme'- diate end 1001) in substantially the same hori zontal lane and an impact receiving huffer front member adjustably arrapged ln overlapping reinforcing position jacent the central part of the buffer, said strips being similarly upwardly arched between the connected end loops to form superimposed contact portions extending considerbly above said'end loops and attaching members, and clamping members to adjustably connect the contact portions of said bufler stri s.

a The automobile buffer consisting of two integral sprin steel strips having greater 115 vertical widthahan thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop in substantially the same horizontal plane and an impact receiving bufler front member arranged in overlap- 120 ing reinforcing position a jac'ent the cen- Fral part of the buffer, said strips being similarly upwardly arched between the connected end loops to form superimposed contact portions extending considerably above 125 said end loops, and means to connect the contact ortions 'of' said bufler. strig.

3. e automobile bnfi'e'r colisi ing of two integral s rin steel strips having eater vertical We ess and mo, 60m- 18 prising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact receiving buffer front member adjustably arranged in overlapping reinforcing position in connection with the cooperating front member adjacent the central part of the buffer, said strips being similarly upwardly arched between the connected end loops to form superimposed contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and attaching members, and clamping members to adjustably connect the'contact portions of said buffer strips.

4. The automobile buffer consisting of two integral spring steel strips having greater vertical width than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact re ceiving buifer front member arranged in overlapping reinforcing position in connection with the cooperating front member, said strips being similarly bent between the connected end loops to form superimposed contact portions vertically displaced With respect to said end loops and .attaching members, and clamping members to connect the contact portions of said buffer strips.

5. The automobile buffer formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops and impact receiving bulfer front members having similarly upwardly arched central contact portions vertically displaced With respect to said end loops and clamping members to adjustably connect said central contact portions in substantially superimposed mutually reinforcing position.

6. The automobile buffer formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops and impact receiving buffer front members having similarly upwardly arched contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and means to connect said central contact portions in substantially superimposed mutually reinforcing position.

7. The automobile buffer formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical Width than thickness and comprising end loops and impact receiving buffer front members having similarly vertically bent central contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and clamping members to adjustably connect said central contact portions in superimposed mutally reinforcing position.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

